Teegan's POV
I collapsed on the bed in a sweaty mess. It was the end of spring and summer was fast-approaching. I had just finished unpacking and I called Jade in to make sure I did everything correctly.
When she entered, there was a flash of something that went across her face, anger maybe or fear? I decided to dismiss it and yawned loudly. It was almost time to exchange presents and I wanted to go first.
Pajamas were put on, good nights were said and becoming cozy on bedding was most definitely had
"So any guesses as to what I might of gotten you?" I smiled goofily at her.
"No, it better be good though." She smiled back, almost uncharacteristically timidly but again I decided to ignore it.
I pulled out a small cardboard box and handed it to her. "Be gentle." I warned and beamed.
She opened up the box and pulled out a delicate silver necklace. It was very simple but her face lit up like a light bulb. She immediately had me fasten it around her neck and played gently with it like a child.
"Your turn." She announced.
She reached underneath her bed and pulled out an old Polaroid camera. Proudly, as if holding up a trophy. I could feel myself smiling from ear to ear as she handed it to me.
"This is sort of cool I guess, my present was better though." I told her and winked.
"Hey! Wait what are you doin-" The flash was blinding and we both needed to close our eyes for a second. I waved the photo around in the air and waited impatiently for it to be ready. It's weird it had any film at all.
When it was entirely ready, I noticed something sort of misty in the background. I couldn't make out the details and I showed it to Jade.
"It's just your shadow on the wall, ya idiot." She rolled her eyes at my expression.
I wasn't completely in agreement and I looked closely at the shadowy figure as it seemed to become more and more clear until I could see something there very easily.
It appeared to have pale skin that stretched in long string-like pieces over muscle on its long, misshapen arms. The beast or creature or whatever had a pointy nose and a mouth that was curved into a grotesquely creepy smile. It's eyes were as devoid of goodness and light as they were of any color except black. It seemed to speak of true evil and I felt a chill deep into every part of my body. And then a flicker of something deep in my mind... recognition?
I handed the photo over to Jade and watched her expression closely as she looked over it again. I wasn't surprised to see fear and the tiniest bit of recognition flash in her eyes. My heart thumped so hard against my chest I thought it would jump out.
"You can't say I'm making it up Jade." I almost whispered.
Of course she being the one who would never believe in anything even slightly paranormal disagreed strongly. But I saw her face and even if she tries to, she can't truly say she wasn't shaken to the core by the figure in the photo.
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When I was laying in bed, trying desperately to go to sleep to escape the feeling I was being watched, I finally realized where I recognized that creature in the photo from and why something so little as a small figure in the background of a photo taken from an old camera made me feel so unnerved.
When Jade and I were little we used to tell each other horror stories, usually having the theme of childhood things gone bad. One time she drew a picture to match her story, Tickle Monster.
I had nightmares for weeks and would wake up drenched in sweat. I never told Jade why I would suddenly wake up in the middle of the night, but she would always send me these looks as if I had just lost someone and was delicate. It was the only story that either of us told during that time that I remembered.
The figure in the photo perfectly matches the one she drew for her story.
Jade's POV
I woke up in the middle of the night, my throat feeling like it had been stripped out to dry under a desert sun. I hurried to the bathroom, ignoring the butterflies on steroids pecking at my stomach as I hobbled through the dark hall. I closed the door and locked it, and then checked to make sure.
I don't know what came over me but I couldn't force myself to open the bathroom door again. And when I say this, I'm saying this after I pleaded and begged myself to. I'll just have to say tomorrow morning I wanted an early shower as I snuggled into the bathtub with a towel wrapped around me.
I didn't want to be in this house anymore.
YOU ARE READING
Tickle Monster
HorrorWhat once started as an innocent being of their imagination could turn into the living nightmare of 15 year old Jade Romero. It was all fun and games as she and her twin sister, Teegan had an innocent sleepover in the room they shared in their new h...